Lighting your work is so important. I would love to hear your feedback on any of the following illumination issues:
Lighting in your sewing room
Lighting your work on display
Lighting while hand or machine stitching
Lighting while matching colors / fabrics / thread
Lighting while photographing your work
Do you use any particular lighting for when you are working on your projects?
Piecing isn't so much a big deal for me. I can do that any time. But I do find that I cannot do my fibre art at night. I just don't have enough lighting that keeps the colors true. I have one big window in my sewing room, and I work best during the middle of the day.
For photographing, I like a well lit room full of natural light, but not direct sun on the item being photographed. I have white sheers hanging in the window which really helps diffuse the light more evenly. I also found that my whole work space lights up when I have white walls. If your walls aren't white, you can put up a big styrofoam board which also serves to put up your work. You could use white flannel or even hand a white curtain just to light up the space better.
I came across this article yesterday which has good tips: CLICK HERE
What about you? Do share!
Have a terrific Tuesday!
~Monika
10 comments:
I love this! Let me think about a "light" tip! Thanks for doing this...
My hubby hung long fluorescent bulb fixtures in my sewing room. I use daylight bulbs in them...I only have one small window...
What light? It has been grey for a few days. I'm throwing lots of colourful scraps around! Of course seeing the true colours would be good. I'll head over for the article but a north east window and true colour bulbs would be good. And I think I'll hang some sheers under my cute valence in my west playroom window. Great tip.
For me, lighting is only partially about colour. It's also a great deal about seeing my stitches. I do a lot of hand work in my pieces, and find I can rarely do so with dark fabrics and thread. I prefer light-coloured neutrals and brights with contrasting thread, or at least with complimentary light-coloured thread!
For stitching indoors I have two favourite spots in my living room, and each has a lamp with attached magnifier, and 'true light' bulbs. My very favourite place for handstitching is available only on sunny spring and summer days -- on a bench in my back yard under the trees. The light is 'true', and the atmosphere, sublime!
My tried and true lighting is by Ott Lite which gives light closest to natural light. I have one on my cutting table, one clamped to my sewing table and one on the desk in the office. I have floor lamps which I use to read and do handwork. Great source for these lamps is www.hofcraft.com. Can't you tell I love them!
I use an OTT light for hand quilting. I sew in the dining room, which has big windows in it. But, lighting for photography always has me confused. I'm still learning. Bright sun is not good, but sometimes I get a lot of shadows and the colors are weird if I don't have the correct lighting. I'll be happy to read other's tips on this subject.
I have a 'daylight' bulb that I live by since most of my stitching is at night right now. For taking pictures I prefer to be outside on a sunny day. Great tips!
I have two floor length Ott lamps which I really like for sewing and cutting. I have 6 windows in my sewing room and the best light is really when the sun shines thru them. I do some sewing at night and then put a small ott lamp behind my machine which really helps with the eye strain. Bernie
Hi Monika,
Whew! I found ya! So happy to have met you through the FFFH art show.
My best lighting tip is on photographing my work. I try to photograph outdoors on overcast days so the light is natural. The clouds act as a diffuser and the light is soft and complimentary. I always find my paintings look the most accurate if photographed this way and rarely do I need to make colour adjustments.
I have one of those 2 light florence fixtures in my sewing area. Knowing nothing about these lights, I whinned for about 4 months one winter on how I could no longer see. Well, to shut me up, my family found a "full spectrum" floor light for my birthday. Oh, I could not believe how my world improved. Then one day, one of the florence bulbs started blinking. I thought since we were changing one we might as well do both. Once installed and I turned the light on, WOW I had never had this room so bright. I did not know that florence bulbs dim with age and mine were about 10 years old. I still love the fancy lamp but don't use it near as much.
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